Side frame of collapsible go-carts.



G. L WISER.

SIDE FRAME 0F COLLAPSIBLE GO-CARTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-8, I915.

Patented 00t.10,1916. 4

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE L. WISER, 0F ELKHART, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 'IO SIDWAY MERCANTILECOM- PANY, OF ELKHART, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

SIDE FRAME OF COLLAPSIBLE GO-CARTS.

Application filed January 8, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE L. WVIsER, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Elkhart, county ofElkhart, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Side Frames of Collapsible Go-Carts, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to collapsible gocarts for children and has specialreference to improvements in the collapsible, wheelbearing side-framesof such go-carts.

In the construction of a collapsible gocart two longitudinally disposedsideframes are pivoted on the main rectangular body-frame of thevehicle. The pivots are close to the main frame, whereas the wheel axlesare remote therefrom, being attached to the lower parts of the sideframes.

As lightness is an essential factor in such carts the side-frames aremade as slender as consistent with the stresses and strains to whichthey are subjected. The wheel axles are mere studs which extendoutwardly from these slender frames. Opposite studs are not joined as bya long axle and they, therefore, exert a relatively powerful leverageand twisting strain upon respective side-frames. Any deviation from atrue perpendicular is immediately noticeable in the distorted positionsof the parts and particularly in the wabbling of the wheels. Manyremedies have been suggested for overcoming these difficulties and forattaining the requisite rigidity in the parts, but according to myobservation this has not been attained without unduly increasing theweight of material used or without excessive cost in material and labor.

The object of my invention is to provide wheel-bearing side-frames of aform that will admit of their being kept within reasonable limit ofweight and which will afford that degree of rigidity between the sideframes and the stub or stud axles which will insure the continuousalinement of the axles and the wheels.

A further object of the invention is to simplify and improve theappearance of the side-frames of collapsible go-carts.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the improvedstructure and combination of parts hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Serial No. 1,139.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, and inwhich,

Figure 1. is a side elevation of a go-cart embodying my invention, thenearer wheels being removed to disclose the construction of the sideframe; Fig. 2 is an enlarged side view of one bend of a side-frame andits axle fastening; Fig. 3 is a vertical section onthe line 00 w of Fig.2; Fig. 4 is a side view of a side-frame and axle fastening of modifiedform; and, Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line Y -Y of Fig. 4L.

In the drawings, I have depicted only those parts of a collapsiblego-cart which are directly related to my present invention, making noattempt to illustrate the seating arrangement or the mechanism employedfor actuating the folding side-frames.

Referring to Fig. 1, a, represents the horizontal rectangular main frameor body frame of the go-cart. The lower end of the folding handle orpusher, b, is pivoted to the rear end of the frame at points, 0. On eachside of the main frame there are two depending rigid brackets, d, d, towhich the side frames, 6, e, are pivoted.

My novel side frame, 6, comprises the horizontal bar portion, 1, thebends, 2, 2, and the upright portions, 3, 3, are attached to thebrackets, cl, d, by pivots, f. It is clear that the side frame beingthus pivoted on the main frame may be folded laterally beneath andupwardly against the main frame, a.

Each side-frame proper may comprise a single piece of metal tubing, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3, or it may comprise a flat bar, 6, bent to thedescribed shape, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The axles, g, for the wheels, 71,, are attached to respectiveside-frames by means of fastenings, 2'. These fastenings, i, in turn,are attached to the horizontal reach bar, 1, of the side frame, close tothe bends, 2, thereof. The fastenings occupy reverse positions, to theend that they may present a symmetrical appearance, but otherwise theyare identical, and a description of one will serve for both.

The principal member of each fastening, 2', is a metal saddle, the top,4, of which rests upon and conforms to the parts, 1 and 2, of theside-frame. The sides, 5, of the saddle hang on opposite sides of thememher, 1, and at a point directly beneath the member 1. Said sides, 5,5, are provided with openings, 6, and 7. The inner end of the axle, g,tightly fits these openings, 6 and 7. The extreme inner end of the axleis reduced in diameter and shouldered (see 8) to fit the smaller hole 7.The axle is secured in the saddle by the riveting of its shouldered end,9, in or against the inner side, 5, of the saddle. The saddle is rigidlyattached to the sideframe by a vertical rivet, 10, and by a hori zontalrivet, 11.

It will be noted that the widely separated sides, 5, 5, of the saddle,together afford a long or wide bearing for the inner end of the axle, g.The device is extremely rigid and the axle cannot become loose in thesaddle; indeed, before the parts can fall, the side-frame itself musthave been bent.

A particular advantage of my invention is that the fullstrength of theside-frame is preserved. This is not the case where an axle is secureddirectly in the side-frame. These fastenings are small andinconspicuous. That is, they are little if any larger than the wheelhubs, 72,, and consequently are virtually covered and concealed by thehubs, it, of respective wheels. And so, the structure as a wholepresents a neat, symmetrical, and pleasing appearance.

here I employ side-frames that are made.

from flatbar material, as in Figs. 4 and 5, the tops 4, of the saddles,5, are made fiat, to rest upon the top of the bar; and the sides, 5", 5,of the saddles are arranged to receive the axle 9, close to the bottomof the bar, 1. In this case two vertical.

rivets, 9, 9, serve to rigidly fix the saddle on the side frame.

It is obvious that the middle portion of the reach bar, 1, may be madein various shapes Without modifying the construction or functions of thewheel axle fastenings, and Without lessening the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent In a collapsible go-cart a main horizontal frame, incombination with side frames having upright portions pivoted to thesides of said main frame, the upright portions of each said side framehaving their lower ends integrally and rigidly joined by a longitudinalbar portion, axle fastenings riveted to said longitudinal bar portionsat their junctures with respective upright portions, each said fasteningcomprising an inverted U-shaped. metal saddle which fits and straddlesthe top of its longitudinal bar portion and has sides which extend belowthe bottom of said bar portion, the depending sides of said saddle ineach case containing axle openings in horizontal alinement just belowthe bottom of the respective bar portion, a stud axle tightly riveted inthe openings of each said saddle and extending outwardly therefrom, andwheels on said axles, having hubs that substantially conceal respectivesaddles.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto setmy hand, this 1st day ofDecember, 1914:, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

F. D. FrnLDs, F. WERK.

Copies of this patent may obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0.

